Created by Scott Hays & Miles S. O’Grady
Shelter Me – The Documentary was inspired by the homeless in Laguna Beach, California; in particular, a friend of mine by the name of David “Holland” McMahon, who typically can be found sandwiched among Laguna’s claustrophobic tourist crowds and pricey art galleries, playing to impromptu audiences. I was captivated by Holland’s lyrics, and impressed that this destitute street musician crooned messages of redemption and hope rather than dark ballads of hopeless self-pity.
We decided to tap into songwriters as a source for inspiration about the issue of homelessness. We secured the best local songwriters we could find—some of whom are actually homeless—and produced a benefit CD titled Shelter Me. All proceeds from Shelter Me benefit Friendship Shelter, a Laguna Beach shelter for the homeless that has “sheltered” more than 5,000 people during its 20-year operation.
We recorded two of Holland’s songs (Rebel Without a Dime and Ain’t it a Wonderful Life), and a song written by homeless musician Jelani Diaz (Beautiful You). Both of which you can hear, in part, on the documentary.
The heroes of this documentary are Holland and Jelani Diaz. It speaks volumes about the extraordinary talent that can be found in the homeless community.
About Scott:
Shelter Me – The Documentary was created by Executive Producer Scott Hays and Orange Coast College film students.
>> Learn about the benefit CD for the homeless titled Shelter Me
>> Go to The My Hero Short Film Festival
